New Beginnings
by somewhereinthedreams
Summary: Paige brings Mike dinner after he gets called into the office on Thanksgiving.


**A/N: I really wasn't planning on posting two Thanksgiving themed fics, but this idea came to me the other night.**

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"There has to be something," Mike muttered to himself as he continued to meticulously go over bank statements that hadn't offered him a single clue on Jakes' location. He looked up when he heard a light knock on the door.

Mike felt his frustration melt away when he noticed Paige standing in the doorway.

"Hey," Paige said, offering him a small wave.

Mike smiled at her and motioned for her to come inside the conference room he had commandeered hours earlier when he heard there might be a lead on Jakes.

"Have you found anything?" Paige asked, setting down a large paper bag on the table. She picked up a file and started flipping through it.

"Nothing." Mike set down the stack of papers in his hand. "You're supposed to be watching movies with Johnny."

Paige shrugged, "We watched two and you said you would be back before dinner."

" _It's Thanksgiving," Paige said, watching him pick up his keys. "Logan shouldn't be summoning you on a holiday!"_

" _I know, but I put some feelers out on some serial numbers - "_

" _I'll come help."_

 _Mike placed his hand on her arm and nodded towards the living room, "You should probably stay here with Johnny. I know he's still upset about Jakes."_

 _Paige nodded, "We all are."_

 _Mike reached for her hand and squeezed it, "I'll be back before dinner. Promise."_

Mike glanced at his watch, "I still have twenty minutes. Charlie said we were eating at 5." Although even if there wasn't any traffic, it would take him at least half an hour.

"I had a feeling that you would get caught up working," Paige explained and reached for the bag. "So I brought us dinner."

Mike moved to stand next to her, relaxing as she leaned against him. "Thank you." He dropped a kiss on her forehead and peered into the bag, "What'd you bring?"

"Well, our options were limited. Charlie let me sneak out a few slices of apple pie. She said the pumpkin one wasn't leaving the house."

Mike laughed, surprised that Charlie let any food leave the house before dinner. "I'm good with apple."

"I didn't plan on picking anything up until I decided to leave, so we're having Chinese. It was either that or pizza from the place down the block, but you hate their pizza."

"Their crust is too thick."

Paige rolled her eyes at his comment, clearly not wanting to have that argument again.

Paige started taking the takeout cartons out of the bag and he went to get some napkins from the breakroom. Mike laughed when he saw a bottle of cranberry juice on the table with two plastic cups.

"I thought we should have some form of cranberry."

Mike sat down next to Paige and handed her a pair of chopsticks.

"I know this isn't really a traditional Thanksgiving, but you're here," Paige quietly said.

"This is perfect."

Mike grew up having traditional Thanksgivings with his entire extended family crowded around two dining room tables shoved together. The house filled with food, laughter and love. It was one of the few days of the year that his dad slowed down his drinking and they could just exist without that fear of setting him off.

He would give anything to hear Jakes and Johnny bickering about who should carve the turkey, before Charlie got sick of listening to them and decided to carve it herself.

But this, huddled up in an empty conference room surrounded by a dozen or so containers of Chinese takeout with Paige was definitely a close second.

Paige tapped her chopsticks against his, "Let's eat."

"We should say something we're thankful for."

Paige turned to face him and he swore his heart skipped a beat as she gazed into his eyes. "You," Paige whispered. "I'm thankful for you. That you're here, that what I did - that you're still here. I'm thankful for your capacity to forgive."

"Paige..." Mike slid his chair closer to hers and he brushed his lips over hers before cupping her face in his hand. "I'm thankful for new beginnings."

THE END


End file.
